Wall-2-Wall Tap Dance Center

Reopening Tentatively Scheduled for August 3

We had planned on reopening for limited in-person classes on Monday, August 3. Then Governor Ducey issued a proclamation on June 29 that may keep that from happening. Here is what I have been told:

1 - Dance Studios fall in the same classification as gyms or fitness centers. We are required to be closed through July 27 and possibility beyond. Governor Ducey has indicated that he may extend the dates depending on what is happening with COVID-19 in our state.

2 - Sometime soon, the state will have an application that fitness businesses will need to submit in order to reopen. We will need to submit information about our employees, our clients, and our plan to reopen safely. The state will need to approve our application before we will be allowed to reopen.

3 - If we are caught holding classes before the 27th or without the state’s approval, we could be fined anywhere from $1000-$2500 and our business license could be revoked.

4 - When we do reopen, we will need to require that all employees and class participants wear masks the entire time they are in our facility.

With all of this in mind, here is what we are planning:

We will submit our application to the state in the hopes that we will be approved to reopen on August 3. If we cannot re-open for any reason, we will make our classes available via Zoom. Students who register for our in-person classes in advance will have the choice of holding onto their classes for a future session or attending the classes via Zoom. We will also have pre-recorded virtual classes available for the classes we are offering (I’m spending the month of July getting these classes videoed, edited, uploaded, and preparing the PDFs that go with them.)

As far as safety measures are concerned, we will be putting the following policies and procedures in place:

1 - Masks are required at all times in the studio (including the lobby). Masks will need to cover your nose and mouth.

2 - Students will be asked to not enter the facility until 5 minutes before class time and leave quickly after class is over. Please pre-pay for all of your classes. We cannot have people hanging out and socializing. We are also asking that you not bring any unnecessary items into the studio. Ideally, you should bring just your shoes and keys with you.

3 - Classes will be limited to 6 students.

4 - There will be a minimum of 30 minutes between classes so that we can clean and wipe down frequently touched surfaces.

5 - We are looking at ways to divide the floor into marked sections. Students will need to stay in their “section” during class, insuring social distancing.

6 - Students will need to sign a release of liability stating that they understand that they are attending classes at their own risk.

Registration is Now Open for the August-September Session

Since there is a limit of 6 students per class, we are asking that you preregister for classes, as they will probably fill quickly. If we are allowed to reopen as planned, we will are looking at the possibility of offering all classes via Zoom in addition to the in-person option for those who wish to participate remotely. There are some logistics that will need to be worked out in order to offer classes via Zoom and in person concurrently, so please stay tuned for information on how to register for the Zoom class.

Class passes remain the same as they have been. You can pay for each class individually or purchase a 5, 10, or 20 Class Flex-Pass. Scroll down and you’ll see some information on a 50 Class Flex-Pass that will be available during the month of July! These passes are good for all of the classes we offer regardless of whether they are in-person, via Zoom, or a pre-recorded virtual classes. For our pre-recorded virtual classes, you can also purchase a 7 Class Virtual Package. These packages are only good for the virtual classes and you must use all 7 classes for the same class and level. Emails for the August-September session’s pre-recorded virtual classes will be sent out on Friday of each week, beginning August 7. Participants will receive one class each week for the 7 weeks.

In addition to the virtual classes we will be offering next session, all of the virtual classes from previous sessions are also available.

To purchase any of our class passes click here to visit our online store

After you purchase your pass, email Mary at [email protected] and let her know which class you want to receive.

We prefer that people purchase passes and register online, as it limits the amount of exposure. If you would prefer to register over the phone or in person, please e-mail Mary [email protected] to schedule a day and time to handle your registration.

The State of the Business

When the COVID-19 crisis first hit us in March, I took a good look at everything and came to the conclusion that the business should be fine through June or July. Back in March, it seemed likely that the crisis should be resolved in a couple of months. Here it is July, and we could be dealing with this crisis for a very long time.

The pre-recorded virtual classes we’ve been selling have helped, but they have been bringing in less the 25% of what the business needs to break even. I’ve watched my rainy day fund dwindle to very little and after the governor’s proclamation the other day, I made some decisions that I really need to do something to generate some additional funds for the business. I considered just shutting it down, but I have 18 months left on my lease, and even if I shut down, my landlord will still expect the rent every month through the end of 2021. So even if I’m losing money, it’s better to stay open and let the space generate a little bit of income.

How can you help?

I hate asking for money, but I’ve had several people tell me that they are willing to chip in to help keep things going. I’ve come up with a variety of ways people can help keep us afloat:

1 - We have set up a Go Fund Me for those who just want to chip in a little bit. I’ve set the goal to $3500, as that is the overhead for the studio for 1 month. You can donate to our Go Fund Me by clicking here: Help Save Wall-2-Wall Tap Dance Center

2 - Help 2 local businesses at once! We have teamed up with another local business to help raise some much needed funds. Think Pro Graphics has designed a limited edition Wall-2-Wall Tap Dance Center T-Shirt that you can purchase. Order your t-shirt online, they’ll print it up, ship it to you, and we’ll get some $$$. You cannot get this t-shirt anywhere else (including our studio). This shirt will only be available until July 13, so order soon! Click here to order your “Tap Dancing Alone Together” T-Shirt

3 - Merchandise Sale: We will be holding a special merchandise sale Tuesday, July 7 - Friday, July 31. All studio merchandise (T-shirts, cups, bags, etc.) will be 2 for $10. This sale is happening by appointment only - please email Mary at [email protected] to schedule the day and time you would like to come shop. You can pre-purchase your 2 for $10 items online by clicking here.

4 - Surprise Bags are still available! We still have our Surprise Bags filled with studio merchandise for sale. Bags come in $20, $50, and $100 increments. You can purchase your bag online and then schedule an appointment to pick it up by emailing Mary at [email protected]. Click here to visit our online store.

5 - We still have new Tap Shoes available for sale! We have a limited amount of brand new Bloch Audeo Taps (great shoe for beginners) and Jason Samuels Smith Tap Shoes (great for our Level 2 and up tap dancers).

The Audeo Tap Shoe runs slightly small. Most people will need to purchase a shoe that is 1/2 sizes larger than their street shoe size. We currently have Audeo Taps in the following ladies sizes: 5.5, 6, 6.5, 7, 7.5, 10.5, 11, 11.5. We are selling these shoes for $69.99 plus tax (These shoes normally cost $86).

The women’s Jason Samuels Smith Shoe runs small. Most women will need to purchase a shoe that is 1 – 1.5 sizes larger than their street shoe size. The sizes we have available are: 5, 5.5, 7, 7.5, 11.5, 12. We also have 1 pair of men’s Jason Samuels Smith Tap Shoes in a size 11. The men’s version runs big, so the 11 would probably fit a man who wears a 12 - 12.5 street shoe. We are selling these shoes for $159.99 plus tax (normally $190).

If you are interested in trying on any of these shoes, please email Mary at [email protected] to make an appointment.

6 - Take some classes! The best way to help us out is to buy and use class passes! You can purchase any of our Flex-Passes now and the will be available.

We have just added a 50 Class Flex-Pass that will be available until the end of July. This pass is $500 ($10/class) and just $400 ($8/class) for our students who qualify for the discount (seniors 50+, full-time college students, US Military). The best things is that this pass is set to NEVER EXPIRE! Click here to buy a 50 Class Pass.

Mary Update

I am happy to report that after a year of dealing with various injuries, I seem to be mostly healthy again. July 14 will mark the 1 year anniversary of my tibial plateau fracture and as of June 30, I am 6 months out from when I broke my elbow. July 8 will mark 6 months since the radial head replacement was performed. I had steroid shots in the elbow and shoulder 2 weeks ago, and they have done wonders for the pain I was experiencing. I am starting to feel almost normal again for the first time in a year. Now, if we can only get this COVID thing under control…